My research focuses on what I consider the most fascinating area of Psychology and Biology: the interface between every living organism and its environment,¹ or, in other words, Behaviour!

Along with many others, I subscribe to Niko Tinbergen’s “Four Questions” about behaviour as the framework for animal behaviour research. I ask (and, hopefully, answer) questions that range from the proximate to the ultimate causes of behaviour. I see my research as not necessarily being focused on a single species, or taxonomic group (ahem… grant-funding purposes excepted, of course). Rather, I am interested in broader theoretical questions about behaviour, in particular, questions about:

1) reproductive behaviour in birds (Common Murres and European Starlings),

2) the effects of early environments (e.g., bird egg lay order, social experiences in young animals) on the subsequent neural, endocrine, and cognitive development of individuals, and

3) how individual temperament interacts with social experience to influence an individual’s social rank, as well as its performance on learning and memory tasks.

To investigate the latter two areas, I study domestic Yucatan miniature pigs, and domestic dogs.

Collaboration with Dr. Anne Storey on Common Murre breeding behaviour continues in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve (an Important Bird Area). We are currently co-supervising a CABE MSc student, Linda Takahashi, who is investigating nest relief “decisions” by long-term partners, and Megan Rector, who is videotaping and studying parental feeding and chick-rearing effort in the burrow-nesting puffin.

In collaboration with Dr. Rita Anderson and CABE MSc students Melissa Howse and Elysia Dutton, I have been doing research on the social behaviour of domestic dogs. As a dog enthusiast as well as an empiricist, I find this work very interesting, as there are few studies about the “normal” social behaviour of dogs.

I am always happy to speak to potential graduate students who might share some of my research interests. Be warned, though: my research program involves getting up close and personal with live animals (and, depending on the project, sometimes their brains). Not everyone finds joy in this.

I am most interested in recruiting students who might like to work with dogs (all living as companion animals), pigs (raised in the lab), and with the free-living starlings (nestbox colonies near campus). There might also be some limited opportunities to carry out seabird fieldwork.

Take a look at my papers, conference presentations, and other interests to see if you might want to consider graduate work in my lab at Memorial. Please note that funding and space restraints sometimes make it necessary to turn down some very qualified students. If this happens, whether by me or any other professor, please don’t take it personally- it is very likely our loss!

We are a province-wide organization interested in promoting and protecting the natural values of our beautiful province for all to enjoy.

Important Bird Areas (administered by Nature Canada and Bird Life International)This educational outreach program has exposed school-aged children and communities to the seabird research carried out in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, a designated worldwide Important Bird Area (IBA). More information about the IBA & links can be found at www.mun.ca/wbiba.

The Alder Institute (http://alder.nf.ca)Alder is a not-for-profit collective of people interested in science, art, and media in Newfoundland & Labrador. Visit the website to learn more!

Ruff-Spots Animal Welfare Foundation, Inc. (http://www.ruffspots.com)Our goal is to raise funds for and awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering our pets, in order to address local pet overpopulation issues.